Sectional sofa or like furniture



July 1937- Y M. KAUFER I 2,087,574.

I YSECTIONAL SOFA OR IKE FURNITURE 1 Filed June 10, 1936 2 Sheets'-Sheet 1- J l 20, 19537. M. KAUPE'R 2,087,574 x.

SECTIONAL s om 0R LIKE FURNITURE v Fil ed June 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1 Moszs mm, BY 2 b ATTORNEY.

Patented July 20, i937 QFFIE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to furnitures and has for its main object to provide'a furniture which is built up of sections so that said sections may be used individually as separate pieces of furni 5 .ure or they may assemble in a combination so as to provide the original furniture of which they are the sections.

My invention particularly relates to the usual large and heavy sofas and aims to provide a .0 sofa which is built up of three parts, said parts being adapted to be used individually as chairs, or to be combined into the original sofa, as desired, easily available means being provided for connecting and securing together the sections or L5 for disconnecting them.

It is well known to those versed in this art that many sofas are very large in dimension and heavy in weight so that sometimes they are awkward or even impossible to be placed in acertain room g and they give trouble in moving them in or out of certain places where the doors are narrow and they give similar troubles in storing or forwarding them.

My invention aims to remedy this difficulty very often met by people who do not know how to use a heavy sofa in a new place and by movers and storage warehouses when they have to move such a sofa or when they have to' store the same, and I divide such sofa into three parts so that the same may be easily and quickly transformed into three chairs, usable separately, each of said chairs again being adapted to be transformed 'into a bed and their combination into a sofa being also adapted to be transformed into a, larger bed. v

It will be seen that such a sofa may be easily moved in or out of any place, transferred or stored in a similar manner, and may be placed and used as one unit where the space permits it and where it is so desired, but its individual parts may be separately used in various arrangements and formations to fit it to the room in question, and my section sofa will be also adapted to be transformed into a large bed for one or more persons, or into several smaller or medium beds for children.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent as this specification proceeds, and among others I may mention: to provide a device as hereinbefore characterized which will be simple in construction, attractive in appearance, easily applicable to sofas, couches or other similar furni- I .tures as at present used and constructed, and

which will be inexpensive, easy and quick in opmethod for securing the backs of the various eration and wherein the constructional elements may be attractively concealed.

V In the drawings forming a. part of this specification and accompanying the same:

Fig. i is a perspective view of a sofa constructed according to my invention in an assembled position, portions of its covering and ornaments having been broken away to indicate the parts and their securing to one another;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views, respec- 1 tively, of the left hand, right hand and center or middle chairs into which said sofa may be separated;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the method for transforming said sofa, or any part thereof, 15

into a bed;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic rear view of my sofa showing means whereby the backs of the parts may be secured to one another, while Fig. 6a is a sectional detail of such securing means, the section being taken on the line 6a6a in Fig. 6; v

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatical detail of the rear of my sofa indicating another parts to one 'another;

Fig. 8 is an end view of a section of my sofa showing the securing means between the same and the adjacent other section, while Fig. 9 is a sectional detail on a largerscale, the section being taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views showing a modified form of a middle section of my sofa with swingable arm rests applied thereto, and

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatlcal fragmentary detail showing a modified embodiment of such an arm rest.

' Referring now to the drawings more closely, by characters of reference, the numeral 20 indicates a sofa made according to my invention, in general, having a seat 2|, a. back 22, a right hand arm rest 23, and a left hand arm rest 24. My sofa is divided into three parts, being a right hand and section 25, a left hand end section 21,

and a middle section 25, each section being independent from the other but being adapted to be assembled and fitted to one another, as shown in Fig. 1, to form a sofa 20 and each section having an independent seat and back, designated, for the respective sections, by the numerals 28, 29 and 30, and 3|, 32 and 33.

When it is desired the said sections may be taken apart and used individually, forming a right sided arm chair, as shown in Fig. 2, being 55 theoriginal .left hand end section, a'left sided one sided arm chair, shown in Fig. 3, being the right hand end section when assembled, and an ordinary upholstered chainshown in Fig. 4, and being the center section 25 of my sofa when said individual chairs are assembled, as in Fig. l. I

It will be obvious that when the sofa is to be moved into or out of a certain room, its moving -will be greatly facilitated on account the same being separated into the sections shown in Figs. 2, 3 and'4, and the same is true when the sofa is being transported or stored. Indeed, as has been mentioned hereinbefore, in some cases a sofa, as shown in Fig. 1, could not be moved at all into or out of some room, or with great diillculties only through a window or the like. a sofa into such chairs, will also be of great aid in case the space does not allow the use of the sofa as a unitrorif such a use thereof will be awkward and unseemly, in which case the chairs may be arranged in various attractive, artistic groups. a

When the sections of my. sofa are assembled into a unit, I use means to secure them to one another; and one embodiment of such means is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Supposing that in said figures, the securing of the left hand section 21 to the middle section 26 is indicated, I secure on the middle section two hook devices 34 and 35, having forwardly projecting upwardly open receiving portions 36 and 31, and I secure oppositely placed axial registering adjacent similar hook devices 38 and 39 on the adjacent end surface 40 of the left hand end section 21. A forward pivoted arm 4| is secured on the endsurface 42 of the middle section 26, in alignment with the upper open portion of the hook device. 34, and asimilar but rearward pivoted arm 43 is secured to the rear thereof in'alignment therewith and with the rear hook device 31, the two arms or levers 4| and 43 being interconnected by a yieldingslot and pin engagement, as indicated at 44. When the two sections 25 and 21 are placed in alignment with one another, their end surfaces and 42 facing. each other, the forward end of the lever 4| will be pushed downwardly, as indicated by the arrow 45, thereby-locking the upper ends of the hooks 34 and 38 to one another,

as will be obvious, and at the same time the rear portion of the arm or 4| will act'through the slot and pin joint 44' on the rearward arm or lever 48 and causes its rearward end 41 to lock the upper ends of the rear hooks 35 and .39 tov one another, as it is shown by full lines in Fig. 8.

When it is desired to detach sections 28 and 21 from one another, the forward end 45 will be pushed upwardly so that lever 4| willdisengage the hooks 34 and 38, at the same time'causing the rear end 41 of lever 43 to move upwardly and to disengage the hooks, as indicated bythe dotted lines in said Fig. 8.

It will be seen that I provided a simple but reliable means for securing the sections of the sofa to one another or for disengaging them, which means may be operated in the front, of the narrow slot or opening remaining between the sections ofthe sofa,as indicated'at 48 in Figs. 1 and 9, which slot normally maybe covered and concealed by any appropriate-draping or ornament adapted to be raised when the looking or unlocking of the sections is desired.

Means will also naturally be provided to ornament the end surfaces of th sections, when they are separated from one another and to conceal the securing means thereon, and one such means Dividing 1- indicate in Figs. 8 and 9, being simply a loose down-hanging ornament or draping 45 which may be folded and tucked-between the upper portions of the sections, as indicated in Fig. 9,.when the sections are locked to one another,

Means may also be provided to transform my means, and the appearance of my sofa or a section thereof when transformed into a bed, are shown in Fig. 5., In'thesimplest form of such means, the upper seat portions 28, 29 and ill of the sections of my sofa are hinged to suitable lower portions or supports thereof, as indicated by the numeral 50 for the left end section of my sofa, the inner surfaces of said seat sections being sofa, or any section thereof, into a bed, and such formed like resilient mattresses as is well known in this art. When these upper portions of the 'seats are opened, as shown in full lines for the left hand section of the sofa and in dotted lines for the middle and right hand sections thereof, legs 5| will automatically open to support the outer ends of the beds so formed, as it also is well known in this art, such legs normally being concealed in respective slots or openings 52 in the upper sections of the seats. It will be seen that by this method I may transform the whole sofa into one large bed for two or three persons, or I may transform the individual sections or any two of them into smaller beds, when they may be used independently, suitable for one person, or for children. e F

For an additional securing of the sections to one another, I may employ locking means between the backs of the sections, as indicated in Fig. 6, said means comprising, a loop device 53 secured -on the back of one section, and a similar device 54 secured on the back" of the neighboring section above said first loop. device 53,- the'outer loops proper 53a and 54a of said devices being in registering coaxial relation, and then a sliding locking bolt or strip 55 may be pushed through both loops proper 52 and 54, as shown. When it is desired todisen'gage the sections, said bolt 55 may be removed, and I also preferably apply two pairs of loop devices '53 and 54,'on the backs of each pair of sections, operated by one sliding bolt 55. The construction of this securing device also naturally may be concealed by suitable ornaments, draperies or covering.

In Fig. 7 I indicate another simple construction for securing the backs of the sections to one another,'consisting of a pivoted hook 58 secured on one section, and a catchor pin 51 to receive the-same," secured on theother section.

jIn'Figs. 10,. to .12, I, flnallyf-show amodifled ,form for the middle sectionzof myzsoi'a, in which arm rest members, 5|,pivoted asat '55,,may be used as portions ofthe back 82 of saidisectiomand maybe thrown upwardly to merge withethe back,

1 as shown in Fig. l0, when said as cha part of the sofa, or ,as, an' -in d emtl1 fi;, without arm rests, 'or they may wardly to a limit support. 50,,as shown when the chair is independentlyused arm rests are desired.

In Fig. 12'Iindicate1infla. fragmentary, diagrammatical manner, a ,"madification of such arm rests, wherein an appropriately formed'plate 6| may be secured on the side of the back fl of the section, in an appropriately concealed manner, the armrest 5Q being 'adapted to engage and be supported by the 'variousportions of the front edge 62 of the plate'ilpwhen thearmrest is thrown upwardly. or downwardly, into its two desired positions, as will .be understood It is aoeasm also obvious that such arm rests may be used on the free ends of the end sections and 2? also in an entirely similar manner.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment and application of my invention, it will be understood that changes and variations may be resorted to in the construction, combination, details and applications thereof and I reserve my rights to all such changes and variations which are within the spirit of this specification and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new, is:

1. A sofa, comprising. a right-hand, a lefthand, and a middle section, entirely separate from one another, an upholstered seat and an upholstered back on each section,the three sections being adapted to be placed together to form the sofa, having the seat and the back of uniform artistic design, formed of the seats and backs of the said three sections; an upholstered stationary end rest adjacent the outer side of each end section and normally concealed means on the meeting surfaces of said sections to removably secure them together; said meeting surfaces having down hanging curtains to normally conceal said securing means but being adapted to be uncovered from over said securing means to permit their operation. I

2. A sofa, comprising a right-hand, a lefthand, and a middle section, entirely separate from one another, an upholstered seat and an upholstered back on each section, the three sections being adapted to be placed together to form the sofa, having the seat and the back of uniform artistic design, formed of the seats and backs of the said three sections; an upholstered stationary end rest adjacent the outer side of each end section and normally concealed means on the meeting surfaces of said sections toremovably secure them together; said middle section having pivoted arms at both sides of its back, normally merging into the design of said back, but being adapted to swing downwardly and to form arms so as to fashion said middle section as an armchair.

3. A sofa, comprising a right-hand, a lefthand and a middle section, entirely separate from one another, an upholstered seat and an upholstered back on each section, the three sections being adapted to be placed together to form the sofa, having the seat and the back of uniform artistic design, formed of the seats and backs of the said three sections; an upholstered stationary end rest adjacent the outer side of each end section and normally concealed means 'on the meeting surfaces of said sections to removably secure them together; said securing means comprising two pivoted interlocked arms on the outer vertical surface of one section and receiving hooks on the outer surfaces of both adjacent sections, one arm having a forward extension whereby to rock the same, its rocking causing the other arm to rock and said rocking in one direction placing the arms in the respective hooks, and securing said sections together, while the rocking of said arms in the other direction is adapted to release them from said hooks to free i said sections from one another.

4. A sofa, comprising a right-hand, a left hand, and a middle section, entirely separate from one another, an upholstered seat and an upholstered back on each section, the three sections being adapted to be placed together to form the sofa, having the seat and the back of uniform artistic design, formed of the seats and backs of the said three sections; an upholstered stationary end rest adjacent the outer side of each end section and normally concealed means on the meeting surfaces of said sections to removably secure them together; said meeting surfaces having down hanging curtains to normally conceal said securing means but being adapted to be uncovered from over said securing means to permittheir operation; said middle section having pivoted arm rests at both sides of its back, normally merging into the design of said back, but being adapted to swing downwardly and to form arm rests so as to fashion said middle section as an armchair; said securing means comprising two pivoted interlocked arms on the outer vertical surface of one section and receiving hooks on the outer surfaces of both adjacent sections, 

